On rare occasions when I actually choose to spend my time watching a television, I see loads of advertising about "food", or things I refer to as things that pretend to be food. The endless brainwashing attempts and ramming of marketing down our throats are just one of the reasons I can't watch television for anything longer than an episode of South Park. Sure, I could PVR it or something and skip through it, but to be honest, I'd rather just work out or read some nerdy literature about food. Anyhooser, if there is one thing I learned about watching TV with my mom when I was a kid, is that...guess what...don't believe everything you see on TV.
Television is one of the best places for the Food Industry to market to us. The Food Industry is just that - an industry - and their job is to make consumers out of all of us. They do all sorts of things and spend all kinds of money on advertisements to get you to buy their food. They lie to you. They mislead you. They prey on your lack of time with your busy life, by making "foods" that are easy for you to take out of a box and prepare. They make these cheap and dirty items affordable so you buy them instead of healthier options that are more expensive. They "enrich" foods with things like Omega 3s and tell you things like there are no trans fats in your products, because you've heard that trans fats are bad, and that Omega 3s are good. They own businesses like "Brand Power" to "help you buy better" (WTF?! I'm pretty sure I've got this spending money thing figured out). They make up things like "Sensible Solutions" to manipulate you into purchasing things that you think are healthy for you. Do a little research on some of those "sensible" solutions. Did you know Kraft Dinner is considered a "Sensible" solution? Yep...that white flour processed junk with powdered chemical cheese...how is that sensible?
They are dirty, Sneaky McSneakertons that will stop at nothing for your buck - period. They've got it made really - they make a living off what people need to survive - food. Although, it's not really food - they sell cheaply made stuff that resembles food, and your body doesn't know what to do with it. The human body doesn't recognize the crap that's in these foods, and so...you become obese and disease ridden while these guys get rich.
But... the fact of the matter is ...no matter how dirty and sneaky these guys are, we are all responsible for what we put in our bodies, and they are not the boss of us. Period. It is up to each and every one of us to look after ourselves and our own bodies. Your governments are NOT going to look after this for you. You need to remember that those in the food industry are also taxpayers, and your government's job is to keep everyone happy. This is why what people are permitted to advertise is so vague, and what is considered "natural" is vague. Your government will keep as many people as possible happy, including the food industry (well, part of that is because there's a whole pile of incestuous type relationships between governments and industry, and they fund all sorts of things, but that's a whole other story)
So what do you do?
First - remember that without consumers, the food industry would not exist. If they want my money, they have to give me what I want. This is my personal stance, and it's how I shop. This means you can use your dollars as your voice. You do this every single day, when you buy your coffee, your gas, and of course, your groceries. Buy local products from Farmers Markets, and Organic Markets. When you go to a supermarket and see a customer comment card box, fill it out, and ask them to carry more local and organic items. Every time I think I am too busy to stop to fill one out or ask a question, I make the effort, and guess what...it takes me less than 2 minutes to do it. I even call and email stores to ask them where the Canadian produce is - feel free to do that as well. If there are enough of us asking for real, whole food, it will be supplied. Look at the organic industry - it used to be next to impossible to find organic produce, and now we have stores dedicated specifically to the organic market. We have businesses that deliver organic food, and even the big supermarket chains are providing it. It's because consumers demanded it.
Second- Don't believe everything you see on TV. The stuff you see advertised on TV is paid for by the food industry. Personally, I just don't buy any type of food I see advertised on TV or anywhere else for that matter, because I know if it's being marketed on television, it is not a real, whole food. Remember - a local farmer would not have the money to pay for such expensive advertising. He's busy looking after his crops.
Third - Do you know that every time you are "too busy" to make your own food, and rely on what's in your cafeteria at work for lunch, or stop at Timmy Ho's for breakfast, you're putting money straight back into the pockets of the Dirty McSneakertons in the Food Biz? I'm not saying never go out for lunch or dinner - I love to enjoy a dinner out with my friends - I'm suggesting that making it a habit to rely on someone else (who does not live in your house - and no, this does not mean get your wife to do everything for you!) to make your meals is not only making you fat and unhealthy, it's supporting the Food Industry. Get up 15 minutes earlier and make your own quick, healthy breakfast. Pack your lunch the night before. Eating healthy is cool!
Look, if you're happy in your body and would like to continue along your merry way being oblivious to all of this, or really don't care about what you are consuming, then by all means - have at it. That's your choice, and it really is not up to anyone else to judge you for it - I sincerely mean that. But, if you're curious about what's really going on in the food biz, and want to make some personal changes, do some research. Eat real, whole food - nothing packaged or processed. It's pretty simple, really. Check out the film Food Inc - here's a link to it...www.foodincmovie.com The more of us there are simply shopping for whole real foods using our dollars to make a statement, the easier all of this will become, and the more affordable it will be for everyone...which is how things SHOULD be.
No comments:
Post a Comment